South Korean protest against US beef
- added July 5, 2008
- 17 responses
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- Paul_Flynn
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"Tens of thousands of South Koreans marched through the streets here Saturday demanding the scrapping of US beef imports and the resignation of President Lee Myung-Bak, witnesses said. Waving flags and banners, the thronging crowd slowly snaked through the city centre chanting "Lee Myung-Bak out!," but there was none of the violent clashes with police that have broken out at some previous recent demonstrations.
Scores of religious leaders including Catholic nuns and Protestant pastors led the march, holding a large banner in front of them, in a calculated move by organisers to prevent hostilities with the thousands of riot police. Police said the crowd numbered 50,000 but organisers put their estimate ten times higher.
The march followed a mass rally near the City Hall in central Seoul, which was sealed off completely with barricades of police buses, parked tightly and manned by riot police with shields. Passers-by and vehicles were turned away from the area. The demonstrations, going back two months, were sparked by Seoul's agreement in April to resume US beef imports, which were halted in 2003 after a US mad cow disease case.
As Lee's government struggles to ratify a free-trade pact with the US and in response to the protests, Seoul went back to Washington to negotiate extra health safeguards, and the meat is now on sale.
"Aside from the beef issue, this government fills me with disgust," a 32-year-old protester who works as a computer programmer told AFP. "This government has lost public confidence, betrayed people's expectation for economic turnaround and worsened education problems," he said as his two young nephews in prams were playing with yellow protest balloons.
The crowd grew as more and more groups arrived after the rain stopped, although generally the number at protests has fallen sharply since 100,000 people gathered in Seoul on June 10, according to police estimates. An umbrella grouping of activists, the People's Association for Measures against Mad Cow Disease, said hundreds of people, including young Christians, would serve as "human shields" to separate the protesters from riot police.
"In order to prevent any violent clashes with riot police, religious leaders, leading activists and parliament members will lead the march," it said in a statement.
Protesters have previously clashed with police, with more than 200 people hurt in running battles last Sunday. Supporters of the newly installed conservative government say left-wing professional agitators have been taking over some rallies, a charge denied by the protest groups.
Analysts say beef is not the only source of public dissatisfaction. Policy failures due to inexperience, economic woes deepened by high oil prices and Lee's alleged authoritarian style have also stoked resentment, they say. Lee has twice apologised to the nation for his handling of the issue and sacked top aides, but says rallies should now stop."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080705/wl_asia_afp/skorea...
Scores of religious leaders including Catholic nuns and Protestant pastors led the march, holding a large banner in front of them, in a calculated move by organisers to prevent hostilities with the thousands of riot police. Police said the crowd numbered 50,000 but organisers put their estimate ten times higher.
The march followed a mass rally near the City Hall in central Seoul, which was sealed off completely with barricades of police buses, parked tightly and manned by riot police with shields. Passers-by and vehicles were turned away from the area. The demonstrations, going back two months, were sparked by Seoul's agreement in April to resume US beef imports, which were halted in 2003 after a US mad cow disease case.
As Lee's government struggles to ratify a free-trade pact with the US and in response to the protests, Seoul went back to Washington to negotiate extra health safeguards, and the meat is now on sale.
"Aside from the beef issue, this government fills me with disgust," a 32-year-old protester who works as a computer programmer told AFP. "This government has lost public confidence, betrayed people's expectation for economic turnaround and worsened education problems," he said as his two young nephews in prams were playing with yellow protest balloons.
The crowd grew as more and more groups arrived after the rain stopped, although generally the number at protests has fallen sharply since 100,000 people gathered in Seoul on June 10, according to police estimates. An umbrella grouping of activists, the People's Association for Measures against Mad Cow Disease, said hundreds of people, including young Christians, would serve as "human shields" to separate the protesters from riot police.
"In order to prevent any violent clashes with riot police, religious leaders, leading activists and parliament members will lead the march," it said in a statement.
Protesters have previously clashed with police, with more than 200 people hurt in running battles last Sunday. Supporters of the newly installed conservative government say left-wing professional agitators have been taking over some rallies, a charge denied by the protest groups.
Analysts say beef is not the only source of public dissatisfaction. Policy failures due to inexperience, economic woes deepened by high oil prices and Lee's alleged authoritarian style have also stoked resentment, they say. Lee has twice apologised to the nation for his handling of the issue and sacked top aides, but says rallies should now stop."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080705/wl_asia_afp/skorea...
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- Paul_Flynn
- 2 months ago
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It's amazing that in South Korea there is enough passion and dissidence for them to get riled up and actively protest over agricultural issues. It's fantastic!
In the UK our government wants to be able to keep people in jail for 42 days with no charge, and no-one gives a hoot!-
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- phillyharper
- 2 months ago
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Have you ever been to Korean barbeque? Wow, they eat a lot of beef, I guess it's good that they're standing up for the health of what they're eating. Aren't those monks up in the photo likely vegetarian though? Not sure...
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- sustainablejohn
- 2 months ago
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Well done South Koreans, that says a lot about you as a nation.
If you guys can muster up that much enthusiasm to protest for the rights of cows, maybe we should've done a better job protesting a war against actual humans, which we (in the UK) did not want. -
This is historic. And I love how so many in America, especially government, just don't understand. It's not just mad cow disease, it's the environment we raise our livestock in that allows for disease to fester. Cows are meant to eat grass, not grain feed mixed with other cows. Cows were meant to live with dignity and respect, like all living creatures, but especially mammals. They were not meant to be raised in a box so they see absolutely no sunlight their entire lives.
South Korea is exercising its most basic rights as humans. I hope the world will wake up. -
Solution: Vegetarian diet and/or impeach the president.
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how about you just stop buying the beef? simple solution my friends...
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according to the article, its not just about the beef either. a mad cow case and other economic issues are at hand here.
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The whole "mad cow" aspect of this issue has been planted by South Korean trade organizations (the disinformation is massive at this point). What you are really seeing here is a variety of organizations trying to keep a protectionist policy in place. That and it's a hot summer, so people are out in the streets anyway.
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- GreenScreenCinema
- 2 months ago
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The workers at the Westland/Hallmark Meat Co. were charged with "animal cruelty" and an "illegal movement of non-ambulatory animals", but interestingly not with endangering human health after it was discovered that downed cattle were entering the human food chain (and the school dinner program) via the Chino processing plant. I guess if processors had pressed charges relating to human health, we'd have to admit that we actually have a mad cow problem here in America (the downed cattle being a glaringly obvious sign of infection in our herds). While there are any downers within American herds, we can pretty much guarantee that a mad cow problem exists, so I don't blame the Koreans for protesting against U.S. beef. Indeed, we should be joining them, rather than keeping our blinkers on as we down our burgers!
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- AndreaKnoll
- 2 months ago
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The reason I posted this article was that I think it's indicative of the increasingly difficult task governments face in managing the expectations of their electors - all the signs are pointing to an increase in these sorts of protests - in Australia we've just had a truck drivers strike over rising fuel costs but none of the commentators (even the smarter ones) really knew who to target for blame. As GreenScreenCinema points out, the issue in Korea is not really mad cow disease, rather it's a fear of the eroding of national economic control through globalisation. People are worried that their elected officials no longer have the power to change anything because the global economy has become so interdependent and complex.
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- Paul_Flynn
- 2 months ago
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Great post Paul. I definitely see how organizers of these protests tapped into that protectionism sentiment to bolster their ranks. No doubt. That is the large narrative. But I do believe that there is something here that is intricately related to the importance place on raising cows in Korean culture. To Koreans, American beef is dangerous to their home grown beef farming sector and to their understanding of healthy food. They know what we feed our cows. It's something I would protest over.
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I agree Judah - the larger problems always spark up protests that have a local flavour. I had no idea the Koreans were so into their beef.
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- Paul_Flynn
- 2 months ago
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For the South Koreans to protest over the fear of imported US beef, leaves me to wonder why. Ok I get that they're afraid of Mad Cow Disease. I mean who isn't!
But what is the real reason that the South Koreans have been protesting more?
~ Is it that they don't trust their President?
~ They don't the US government?
~ They want to become more like India, and worship the cow?
~ The South is trying out a new beef free diet?
What is the real reason that the South Korean People are protesting more than ever?
Until I hear the REAL reason for all of the protests in South Korea over the possible US beef being re-introduced, I'm going to hold my breath until I'm blue or purple! Which ever color comes first.
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